Playing for Change

To celebrate the 2015 Playing For Change Day, the Maine Academy of Modern Music (MAMM) partnered with a number of Maine filmmakers, musicians, and students to make our own video in the style of the Playing For Change "Songs Around The World" series. This year we chose to feature the song "Understand" by Maine's own Frank Hopkins.

LAUREN RIOUX

A native of Washington County, Lauren performed her scene for the video at Quoddy Head State Park in Lubec, Maine, the easternmost point of land in the continental United States. Learn more about Lauren and her career at www.laurenrioux.com

FRANK HOPKINS & KENYA HALL

In 2013 MAMM partnered with the Maine Center for Creativity to host a call to Maine songwriters in search of a song to be featured in the next Playing For Change ~ Playing For Maine video project. "Understand", submitted by Maine musician Frank Hopkins, was chosen as the winning song. Not only was Frank awarded with a $1,000 cash prize sponsored by Asylum, but he and his friend Kenya Hall were invited to appear in the video. You can hear The Kenya Hall Band's version of "Understand" on their album "Learning For Miles, Vol. 1".

KYLE FRIDAY

Kyle has been teaching for MAMM since 2013 and one of his first assignments was filming his spot for "Understand". Kyle teaches guitar, bass, and piano and also runs a number of MAMM's partnership programs such as providing free guitar workshops to the at-risk youth at the Preble Street Teen Center in downtown Portland.

JEFF BEAM

Jeff Beam is a multi-instrumentalist songwriter from Portland, Maine. This December Jeff will be appearing with The Fogcutters at the State Theatre as part of their annual Big Band Syndrome series. Check out The Fogcutters performing in front of the State Theatre in MAMM's first PFC video "Be In Love".

In addition to the graffiti wall, also featured in "Understand" are other Bangor landmarks including the Paul Bunyan statue and popular horror author Stephen King's house.

RAFFI DER SIMONIAN

Raffi, a MAMM Board of Directors since the fall of 2014, filmed his portion of the video at the Waterville Opera House in his hometown. FUN FACT: In 1999 Raffi booked Rustic Overtones to play a benefit for his high school senior class in this very hall. It was a sold-out show and went down in history as the largest fundraising event ever at Waterville High School.

AMY ALLEN

Amy was filmed in her parents' back yard on the beautiful coast of South Portland, Maine. As you can see in the video a whole fleet of sail boats fortuitously rolled by while we were filming her spot. Amy is an amazing talent so be sure to keep an eye out for her and her band, Amy & The Engine.

PETE KILPATRICK

All of our performers were recorded live on location, a process that in and of itself can be quite challenging. Pete's shot was one of the trickiest to capture as it seemed that every time he would begin singing a loud motorcycle would drive by.

Nonetheless, we think Pete did a great job and can certainly understand why he has been named Maine’s best act four times in the Portland Best Music Awards. www.petekilpatrickband.com

TONY McNABOE

Tony is a drummer, singer, and all around nice guy. He was first introduced to Maine music fans as the drummer of Rustic Overtones. He is also a passionate supporter of the Travis Roy Foundation.

YARD SAIL

Yard Sail is MAMM's first all-girl rock band. Over the last 3 years they have performed at the Old Port Festival, Port City Music Hall, One Longfellow Square, and most recently at the premiere of "Understand" at the Portland House of Music & Events.

L-R: Esme Howland, Emma Ivy, Eve Gagne, Skyler Cummings, & Zoe Gagne

DAN CAPALDI

Maine producer/multi-instrumentalist, Dan Capaldi's shot on the chair lift at Sunday River was definitely one of our more ambitious shots, and we feel that it was a really fun way to feature Maine's ski industry in "Understand".

STU MAHAN

Stu is a professional bassist who splits his time between Portland, Maine and Brooklyn, New York, and has been teaching at MAMM summer camps for years.

When we were brainstorming locations to film Stu in his home region, borrowing a canoe from Kieve-Wavus Education, Inc and plopping him in the middle of Damirascotta Lake just felt right. How can you go wrong with a Stu in a canoe?

THE GHOST OF PAUL REVERE

The Ghost of Paul Revere is Maine's premiere holler-folk band. In addition to filming their spot for "Understand" the group filmed an additional stand-alone video with MAMM as part of a project funded through the Maine Arts Commission. This second video, produced in conjunction with the Playing For Change ~ Playing For Maine project, will be released soon. Stay tuned for more details!

An award-winning songwriter in his own right, roots musician Samuel James is one of Maine's most unique and innovative talents. We decided to film Maine's most distinguished blues artists performing at one of the state's most distinguished crossroads. The world's traveler sign in Lynchville is one of the most famous road signs in the country and one of the most photographed landmarks in Maine.

BRAYDEN SHAW

Brayden, son of MAMM Director Jeff Shaw, was filmed in his father's hometown of Milbridge aboard the Kandi Leigh, a 28' lobster style boat. Also making a brief cameo in "Understand" is Captain Jamie Robertson of Robertson Sea Tours & Adventures, www.robertsonseatours.com.

FUN FACT: MAMM had originally identified The Longfellow Garden as a potential location to film for "Be In Love" but due to scheduling conflicts the shoot didn't happen. When MAMM decided to create a second Playing For Change style video we were determined to include this Portland treasurer in the next production.

In addition to filming her spot for "Understand" Sorcha filmed an additional stand-alone video with MAMM as part of a project funded through the Maine Arts Commission. This second video, produced in conjunction with the Playing For Change ~ Playing For Maine project, will be released soon. Stay tuned for more details!

TYLER STANLEY

We decided to film Tyler on the front porch of his own cabin in Kingfield. Tyler has been teaching at MAMM summer camps in Bar Harbor and Portland for years, and performs regularly with some of Maine's most popular acts including Sly Chi and the Pete Kilpatrick Band just to name a few.

WOLF MULLEN

NORTH OF NASHVILLE

Together Andrew Martelle (L) and Jay Basiner (R) make up North of Nashville, Maine's quintessential two man outlaw country band.

We filmed North of Nashville at Old Orchard Beach, one of New England's most popular destination beach towns. The seven mile long beach stretching away from the downtown is lined with many beach residential properties, condominiums, motels, and bed and breakfasts.

PETE DUBUC

Pete is the front man of Portland, Maine Americana band Gunther Brown. We filmed Pete at Sweet William's Farm on Maine Maple Sunday. Held annually on the 4th Sunday of March, Maine Maple Sunday is a day when most sugarhouses across the state offer free maple syrup samples and demonstrations on how pure Maine maple syrup is made.

JEFF SHAW

Jeff is the founder and director of the Maine Academy of Modern Music. Originally born in Providence, Rhode Island, Jeff moved to Milbridge, Maine when he was 13 yrs old and survived long, cold winters in Washington County by teaching himself how to play the electric guitar. A graduate of the University of Maine at Machias, Jeff has lived in Portland for the last 13 years. In addition to running MAMM he also is the music teacher at Spurwink's day treatment schools statewide.

To celebrate the 2012 Playing For Change Day, the Maine Academy of Modern Music (MAMM) partnered with a number of local filmmakers, musicians, and students to make our own video in the style of the Playing For Change "Songs Around The World" series.